


A Tentative Flame

by tirsynni



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23971804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tirsynni/pseuds/tirsynni
Summary: After obtaining the first flame, Link heads back to the Sealed Grounds to catch his breath.
Relationships: Groose & Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	A Tentative Flame

**Author's Note:**

> First Skyward Sword fic! Based on the sheer trauma of Link's life in this game, there will probably be more.

In his hands, his sword burned with a strange new strength and vitality. It looked different, stronger as well as longer, and if Link concentrated, he felt it pulsing as if with a heartbeat.

As Link limped back to the old woman and Groose, he held on tightly to the hilt, drawing on its strength as much as he could. Fi appeared more often than usual, quietly directing him to empty paths and away from enemies. Link could not remember feeling so pathetically grateful in his life, even when Zelda…

If he thought about Zelda, he would drop on the path and stop moving. Instead, Link gritted his teeth and pushed himself forward.

There was a list of things in his head he didn’t let himself think about. Zelda was just at the top of it.

If Link didn’t stay focused, if he didn’t concentrate on the path to the old temple, it was more than that list which would haunt him. The forest would blur around him. The bright green would fade, replaced by something dark, crumbling at the edges like the temple. It was too much like that odd dream when he first saw the Sealed Grounds. The air even gained the same chill bite, the strange scent of gravedirt and sulfur. If he didn’t concentrate, it felt like he was walking over his own grave, and Link couldn’t deal with that right then.

It reminded him too much of those strange undead bokoblins. Link could still feel them grabbing him as he climbed up the string. He shuddered. Fi shimmered to life in front of him, blank expression somehow worried. “The path is clear, Master. There is a 90% chance of you making it to the temple unimpeded.”

Only when Link nodded did she vanish back where she came. Something else to not think about. Link exhaled shakily and limped forward.

The cool forest breeze, lovely after a fight, bit through his damp clothes now. No matter how hard he willed it, he couldn’t stop shivering, even as it felt like his bruised bones rattled in time. 

Two more flames to go, and then… Then… Link had no clue.

The doors felt impossibly heavy as he opened them. He saw several seats and almost made for them, but Link kept moving. He saw the old woman and meant to head for her, but he found himself limping toward the main door instead. Link felt her eyes on him, but she neither stopped him or made a comment on his bedraggled state. He knew she saw every bruise, every tear in his clothes, and  _ knew _ what she was thinking:

He needed to do better.

Outside the temple didn’t look like Link remembered it. A wooden path circled the upper part of the Sealed Grounds. Link almost paused to study it but knew if he did, he wouldn’t get moving again. He saw Groose working on… something… and dragged his aching body toward him.

More strangeness. Before all  _ this _ , he never would have considered going to Groose like this. He went to Zelda, or Zelda somehow sensed it and came to him.

He was beginning to wonder if he would ever have that back.

Groose heard him coming and turned with a proud grin. “Hey --” The proud grin faltered. His eyes bulged. He dropped his hammer and it narrowly missed his foot. “You look awful! What did you do, pick a fight with a… with a…” Groose looked around, confusion twisting his face. 

Not sure what was confusing him, Link took advantage of his distraction to plop beside Groose. He meant to sit but ended up falling backward. His shield and sword were painful against his back, but no silent urging made his worn body move. He was done.

Was it just a couple weeks ago when Zelda yelled at him for napping in the sunshine? Then she sighed and settled beside him, grumbling about his laziness. 

_ “Take a nap if you want, lazybones. I’ll keep watch.” _

What had changed? Link didn’t understand.

He just wanted everyone to be safe and happy.

“Hey, hey, don’t… Dammit, where’s Granny when you need her? Hey, don’t sleep like that!”

Groose’s large hands grabbed Link’s shoulders and hauled him into a sitting position. Link grumbled and forced his eyes open. When had he closed them?

When had Groose’s hands on him stop being a threat?

Groose frowned at him, and it occurred to Link that Groose looked  _ older _ . There were shadows in his eyes Link didn’t remember seeing, new lines around his eyes and mouth. Stress and worry and who knew what else.

There was no going back to what they were before. It made Link’s heart ache.

With Groose’s hands fussing at him, so similar to how Zelda used to be, Link slowly stripped off his weapons and laid them beside him. To Link’s surprise, Groose pulled off his small yellow cloak and wrapped it around Link’s shoulders. Groose didn’t stop moving, hands sweeping over Link and muttering to himself. Link watched with wide eyes but didn’t hesitate to pull the cloak close. He was cold, and no matter how long Groose had been down here, his cloak still smelled like Skyloft.

“You look awful,” Groose repeated, and he spoke so softly he might as well have been speaking to himself. “What is even out there, anywhere? Weird small birds and talking rocks and who knows what else. Giant bugs? I hate bugs.”

_ Demons _ , Link thought.  _ There are weird demons who do weird things with their tongue and threaten you and send even weirder creatures after you. _

He had no idea what to make of Ghirahim. He wouldn’t even know how to start describing him if he tried.

Link  _ could _ describe the monsters, though. The bokoblins and moblins. The aracha and staldra. There were so  _ many _ . He could describe the specific ones which chilled him: the undead bokoblins which clawed their way out of the ground and climbed after him and clung to him; the stalfos; the stalmaster.

At the same time, he knew he never would. Link forced a small smile for Groose. There was no need for Groose to worry about anything else. He was already dealing with the Imprisoned. Groose was doing enough.

So Link stayed quiet because he had no idea what to say, and Groose wasn’t Zelda: he couldn’t pick up all the silent things. Groose waved his hands like the little birds which fascinated him so much and sat beside Link. He radiated a warmth and solidity which Link hadn’t known since he and Zelda took their last flight, before Ghirahim’s tornado attacked them.

Link  _ missed _ her. There was Pipit and Fledge but she had been his rock, the solid ground when he landed. Now she was someone different, on a strange and dangerous quest, and she ran away instead of explaining and all Link could do was follow the trail she left behind and try to protect her. Their positions had been reversed and all Link could do was get his footing under him as quickly as he could.

_ Grow stronger _ , Impa said, and he was  _ trying _ .

“You’re still bleeding, you idiot,” Groose said, voice too quiet and too loud in the same instant. He sounded so distressed. Link hated it. Forcing his smile a little wider, Link bumped Groose’s shoulder with his own. 

“I’m okay,” he said softly. He was. He would be. He had no choice.

Groose scowled, the expression too mature for his face. He looked around them, as if looking for answers, but there was only Groose’s new, still unexplained construction. When Groose sighed, it was as explosive as Link’s gust bellows. Then Groose slammed his arm around Link’s shoulders and yanked him close into a sideways hug. Link yelped and flailed a little, almost losing Groose’s cloak. Groose determinedly stared forward, as if he would find all of his answers somewhere in the Sealed Grounds.

“It’s just us,” Groose said, hand tight on Link’s shoulder, pulling Link tight against him. “I mean… Zelda. We’re going to find her. We’re going to save her, and she’s going to be so grateful, and then we’ll all go back home like heroes! But for right now… It’s just us, y’know? We’re the only ones representing Skyloft. We gotta stick together, y’know?”

Groose sounded awkward but so determined, so genuine, that Link’s smile became a little more real. Groose was still not looking at him, but it didn’t matter. He was warm and big and  _ there _ when Skyloft and Zelda were so far away.

“Yeah,” Link said and leaned against Groose’s side. Groose’s hand tightened on Link. There was a bruise and it hurt and Link didn’t care.

“We’ll make them regret messing with Skyloft,” Groose boasted. At last Link truly smiled.

Just because they couldn’t go  _ back  _ didn’t mean things wouldn’t be good again. 

With Groose so warm beside him, still smelling like  _ home _ , Link could look at the Sealed Grounds without feeling like he was staring at his own grave.

**Author's Note:**

> For more Zelda and fandom, check out my [tumblr](https://tirsynni.tumblr.com/). I can always use more Zelda fans in my life. :D


End file.
